The INC. Column.

Age Apparently No Barrier When Star Wants To Party

While the debate rages about whether teeny-bopper Britney Spears, at 18, is too young to marry 'N Sync's Justin Timberlake (British tabloids say she is, her publicist says it's baloney), the girl apparently isn't too young to party.

We hear that during her recent trip here, Britney (or a very passable look-alike) and her entourage popped into Crobar--the notoriously hip 21-and-over club--and settled into the upstairs VIP section. That was until Spears got boogie fever and had a bodyguard escort her to the downstairs dance floor.

FOR THE RECORD - Additional material published July 11, 2000:A clarification of (Monday's) edition: The rapper Eminem hails from Warren, Mich., not Warren City.

The folks at Crobar aren't talking. But then again, they never comment on their VIP guests, which is why the stars go there in the first place.

Say what?

Rapper Eminem, one of the headliners of the big hip-hop show at Allstate Arena over the weekend, finds himself in the middle of another controversy in his hometown. Warren City, Mich., is trying to determine who sent a letter to the local attorney general's office threatening to burn down the city if weapons charges against the rapper--whose real name is Marshall Mathers--aren't dropped.

Building blocks

Word is the New York Times is talking to California architect Frank Gehry, who recently designed a band shell and pedestrian bridge for Chicago's Millennium Park, to help design a new building to house the newspaper.

Funny guy

Comedian Chris Rock led a vigil outside a Florida jail when bad boy singer Bobby Brown was released last week. Rock wasn't serious, though. It's part of a bit for his HBO show.

Home sweet home?

Not only did the Bulls make a huge impression on free agent Tracy McGrady this weekend, watch for Jerry Krause and the gang to make Charlotte free agent Eddie Jones feel equally welcome when he visits Chicago later this week. We hear the full-court press on Jones could include a trip to a Sox-Cardinals game Thursday. No word yet on whether Jones would throw out the first pitch like McGrady did at Wrigley Field on Saturday.

Inc.-lings

The Sulzer Regional Library, 4455 N. Lincoln Ave., will hold a "Harry Potter Readathon" all day Monday. ... The Los Angeles Independent Film Festival will screen the hip-hop film "Freestyle," featuring Mos Def and the Last Poets, at 7 p.m. on Monday at Mad Bar, 640 N. Damen Ave.

He said, she said

"It won't take me six pages to convince you to send me an urgently needed contribution for my United States Senate campaign in New York. It will take only six words: I'm running against Hillary Rodham Clinton." That's from a campaign letter penned by Rick Lazio, New York's Republican candidate for the Senate.

Chicago artist and photographer Jonathon Marks, 34, is sure to create controversy with his photos of a naked model posed in the old city of Jerusalem at sites that are holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims.

Inc.--All these places are under heavy, heavy guard. How'd you get away with it?

A--I spent three of four weeks basically casing the joint. I was just a "tourist," a guy walking around with a camera.

Inc.-The larger question is why? Why take nudie art shots at holy places that are just going to make people mad at you?

A--I was inspired by a photo shoot I saw of nudes posed at landmarks of Chicago such as night court, the "L" platform at Addison near Wrigley Field, Billy Goat tavern.

Inc.--(Armour, butting in) I go to Billy Goat's pretty regularly and I never saw that.

Warren: Did you ever come close to getting caught as you were taking the photos.

A--At the Jerusalem Great Synagogue, I ran about four blocks naked.

Inc.--So now we know that the guy in some of these pictures is a self-portrait.

A--I heard a truck, grabbed my clothes, grabbed my tripod and ran.

Inc.--So you learned a lot about the holes in Israeli security?

A--Yeah. What the security cameras covered. Where the blind spots were.

Inc.--Now you've got, what, 60 pictures of a naked man and a naked woman at some very sacred spots. What will you do with them?

A--I've got a Web site: jonathonmarks.com. And I'm looking for a place to display them, whether it be a gallery or publication of some kind.

Inc.--Two touchy subjects rolled into one: sex and religion. It could be a tough sell.

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